Congratulations on Dr. Osvald's 100th anniversary
Asahi Breweries, Co. Ltd. would like to take advantage of this occasion and appreciate the excellent merit of dr. Karel Osvald, the creator of the present three kinds of the basic clones of the hop of the Žatec region, which we still use In our brewery production. As a tribute to the great work of dr. Osvald, we would like to mention the importance of the hop of the Žatec region for the production of the most successful beer in Japan, which is sold under the trade mark Asahi Super Dry.
When we were developing this new type, we carried out some research on our customers' tastes. At random, we chose 5,000 people from the East and West Japan and we asked them what they preferred. During the research the employees from the development department concluded that their tastes have changed by the dependence on their various life styles and nourishment habits. Now an alcoholic beverage is required to be more refreshing. We thought over which species would be the most suitable for a new kind of beer with a high level of drinkability, appropriate relish and pleasant bitterness.
We drew the conclusion that the hop of the Žatec region fulfils those requirements as one of the best and the most well-known kind of hop. The hop of the Žatec region is irreplaceable with its unique aroma and fine bitterness in the production of our new kind of beer and it is highly appreciated by our company. Due to this hop, we have managed to give a well-balanced typical bitterness to Super Dry beer.
Not only the modern brewing technology, which enables us to take advantage of the typical characteristics of the hop of the Žatec region, but also the hop itself has merit in the increasing sales of the Super Dry. In the first year, we sold 1.6 mil hl of this brand, the year after it was already 9.4 mil. hl and the sales are still increasing. The last year, i.e. 12 year since the production was initiated, 23.4 mil. hl were sold, which means that this beer has become one of the most sold ones in Japan.
Super Dry has its extraordinary taste due to the hop of the Žatec region and the results of the work of dr. Osvald, creator of the three Osvalďs clones. We are convinced that the Czech suppliers will maintain the high standards of the hop of the Žatec region in the future as well. We rely on the hop of the Žatec region. Recently, we have initiated production of a high quality beer called "Fuji- san" (Mount Fuji) which we brew from high purity water from the surroundings of Mount Fuji and exclusively from the hop of the Žatec region. In the very near future we are going to initiate production of Asahi Super Dry beer in the Czech Republic and again, we are going to use the hop of the Žatec region.
In conclusion let me appreciate the importance of the work of dr. Osvald one more time, without whom we couldn't have achieved such results.
